Zhang Yachun disappeared from his home in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, on March 24 and five days later police told his parents he had been eaten by a tiger in a nearby zoo, the China news service reported, citing a Harbin newspaper.

China has a poor record of keeping people away from dangerous zoo and circus animals.

In February, a circus lion ripped a 10-year-old boy's arm off after grabbing him through the bars of its cage.

Last year, 16 government officials were sacked after a boy was eaten alive at a crocodile enclosure in southern China. And a zoo tiger attacked a 6-year-old girl waiting to have her picture taken with the animal, biting her head and killing her.